


A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant To Be

by orphan_account



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: All titles are songs check 'em out ( including actual title ), Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27991191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: For almost a year now, Dream has been a knight under King George. However, no other guard has ever dreamt of getting this close to the King, almost always seen by his highness' side. So much so that Sapnap, another guard and Dream's close friend has joked about George making him his personal guard, so that he'd have an actual excuse to be so close to him, asides from his hidden feelings for the King. Which wouldn't hold as much power if he didn't know for a fact, that George and him were soulmates by their shared marks on their skin.Only that George doesn't know, and with the way things are headed, aged twenty-four and still unwed with no clue as to who his desired soulmate is, he isn't going to know. Or at least, that's what Dream hopes. Who cares about some stuffy old tradition, anyways, there's no way they're "destined" to be together just because of some marking they both happen to share. Or so, that's what he tells himself to keep his heart in a cage, and hold back these feelings of his.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound
Comments: 1
Kudos: 73





	1. The Butterfly Effect

It was almost a year ago now that Dream became a guard under King George. He's not sure exactly how it happened, but it might have something to do with how both his parents served under the previous King and Queen, and despite only being servants, they each got along quite well. Befriending the son of the head guard, Sapnap, may have also played a part. It's not like he became his friend just to get on his good side so he could get a chance at becoming a knight, because when they first met, bumping into each other in the town whilst Dream ran away with a stolen loaf of bread in his arms, he had no idea Sapnap was the son of the head guard, and he wouldn't have cared.

But they became friends in almost no time, and every time they'd happen to cross paths, Sapnap would bring him some food. Even though it was only sometimes he needed to steal a little, from time to time. Ever since his Mother fell ill and his Father had to quit his only job at the castle to stay by her side and care for her. And Dream couldn't just sit around and do nothing. That's when Sapnap had a bright idea; and offered Dream a position as knight, and at first, he was certain he was joking, and laughed it off. He surely did not expect him to come by the next morning, with the same offer, and this time it was obvious he wasn't joking around. So he reluctantly accepted his suggestion, and when he had to go through intense training in order to ensure he was good enough for the position, oh, he almost immediately regretted his choice. 

But he needed this job, to support his family, and so with Sapnap's help, he pushed through it. And by God it was worth it, knights were treated well, and maybe the fact the King and Queen used to know his parents helped just a little bit. During the first few months as a knight, he barely came in interaction with Prince George, he was only knew after all. However, there were brief moments where George would pass through the training grounds, and they'd lock eyes, at first distracting Dream from the fight at hand. Though as George's visits became more frequent, although they exchanged no words, Dream made sure to put on a show while he was watching, and quickly take down his opponent ( which, most of the time had been Sapnap ) and his chest lit up with a fire when he'd catch George quickly looking away before they could make eye contact. 

Shortly afterwards, he'd try to warm up to George, "accidentally" cross paths with the lovely Prince, who he didn't know much about. However, he had really bad timing, as only four months into his position as knight under the King and Queen, George became the new King. He didn't see much of George after that, understandably the Prince, now King, wished to be alone with his sorrows, grieving over his parents' deaths. Dream could only be by his side when he did happen to accidentally bump into him almost a month later, as George was headed off to his chamber to rest after a session with his royal advisor as he usually did. Dream can remember that exact moment as if happened yesterday, when he helped the exhausted King to his feet, and caught a glimpse of his wrist under his sleeve.

There, he saw the King's soul mark. A crown, he almost wanted to laugh at the irony of it, if he weren't left breathless. He had the same one, the exact same placement on his right wrist. His parents always joked about how it meant he'd become royalty someday. "Hey!"

"Oh, shit─" distracted by the thoughts filling his head, he had stopped pulling George back up half-way. Snapping out of his thoughts, his body acted subconsciously, his hand completely letting go of George, causing him to fall. Before he could hit the ground, however, he reached out and grabbed him again, one hand holding his, and his other arm wrapped around his back as he loomed over him. For a few seconds, he found himself staring into his beautiful eyes, finding himself lost in them, until George cleared his throat and remined him of the awkward position they were in, him having unintentionally dipped him. 

Clearly his throat, he properly helped him to his feet and chuckled under his breath, taking a step back. He had to look away, his thoughts distracting him again. He must've been imagining things, there's no way that he and the King are soulmates, and he wanted another look just to make sure. Though when he looked back at the King, he was walking straight past him without a word. He'd go to his chamber and remain there for the remainder of the day if he didn't do anything, but what right did he have to step in? Asides from being one of many knights under his order.

He didn't even think twice, let alone once about his careless, reckless decision to stop the King in his tracks. "Wait!" Is all he could think of, and it worked, but he realized too late that he didn't know what to say next, the King's judgemental gaze on him leaving him once again, speechless. Could he really be his soulmate...? 

"Uh," he chuckled nervously, looking away. He had to think of something, fast. "I noticed you have a habit of watching me spar," his mind had been totally blank in that moment, but he still could have come up with something better than... that, mentally cursing at himself, only to be silenced by a snort, and giggle. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

For the first time, he saw him smile, and it let loose butterflies in his chest. Quick, he couldn't let this slip up. "So, I was wondering if... you'd like to accompany me, and I could teach you a thing or two," he offered with a small wink. He closely studied the King's expression, as he seemed to think it over, and his smile started to curve downwards. "I mean, you don't have to─"

"You know what, fine. But don't think that I don't know a thing or two myself, you're new to your position after all, aren't you?" He couldn't believe his horrible pick-up line had actually worked. He couldn't help but space out for a few seconds, at a loss for words. Though he thankfully snapped back to reality, just as George began to question his reaction. 

"You know that doesn't mean anything!"

"Oh, doesn't it, Sir Dream?"

"Mhm, King George."

From that point onwards, the two of them had started meeting up reguarly, to the point the other knights began to get suspicious, and even the head guard asked if he had something up his sleeve ( rather intimidately ). And whenever he met up with Sapnap, the boy would jokingly question it as well, even going as far as to ask if he had "ulterior motives" and it took him a minute to realize he didn't mean it in the same way as his father. 

Months flew by, and at first, Dream continuously attempted to "slip-up" and accidentally reveal his soul mark to the King, who obliviously missed it every darn time, to the point where Dream almost assumed he'd been doing it on purpose. After some time, he stopped, half out of frustration that it was taking so long, and the other reason being that he grew uncertain if it was the right time. Ever since he first found out what the crown on his wrist meant, he didn't really care about finding his soulmate. Of course, at that age, he didn't care about love in the slightest, but that didn't really change as he grew older. 

He might have had a few crushes then and there, but tradition said that you could only fall in love, and pursue the one you were destined to be with. He began to hate it. What if he fell in love with someone who wasn't his soulmate? And he had, and it hurt, but he eventually overcame the feelings and moved on with his life, especially when he needed to support his family, he had no time for romance. Was he ready now? Yes, but at the same time, he was willing to wait. For the right moment, where he could at last reveal the long-awaited secret, and they'd have a happy ending. 

Not only did he want to wait until he knew for a fact that George was ready for a relationship, with what he'd been through, and the pressures of being King, but he wanted to make him fall in love with him without the whole "destined lovers" thing. He didn't want George to love him just because they shared the same marking, no, he wanted him to love him for who he is, a somewhat annoying, but charismatic, quick-thinking lovable idiot, as Sapnap described him. As for him... well, he'd fallen head over heels at first sight, he couldn't even deny it. 

Most royalty find their soulmates at a very young age, their parents searching endlessly for their destined partner, but either George's parents weren't one for tradition, or he had just flown under the radar. A pity. But now he's here, by his side, ready to profess his love when the moment's right, and nothing, could get in his way. 

Or so, he had thought. 

But maybe they weren't all that destined to be, after all.


	2. Lucky Love

Dream had been wandering the castle grounds alongside Sapnap, simply chatting as they didn't have much to do. They usually spent the majority of their time training, sparring with each other, guarding castle grounds, or Dream would be by George's side, keeping him company as he'd manage his duties as King. "You seem awfully close with the King lately," Sapnap spoke up, and Dream hummed. What a coincidence, as they turned the corner there they found George, talking with his royal advisor, Darryl. 

Sapnap's next words were blurred out as Dream's gaze lingered on George, who's eyes slowly wandered from his royal advisor, to make eye contact with him. Dream's breath hitched and he flinched as George excused his royal advisor, and made his way towards the two. Upon noticing this and Dream's expression, Sapnap snickered under his breath, which Dream heard that time, and elbowed him. Just as as a playful fight between the two could break out, George stood before them and cleared his throat.

Sapnap jumped, and quickly bowed before him. "Your higness," he greeted formally, only to open one eye and see Dream standing tall, and rolled his eyes. Dream chuckled under his breath, before bowing politely, but failed to keep a straight face, a cheeky grin curving the corner of his mouth. 

"Your beloved, adored highness, what give for you to grace us with your presence?" He greeted, slowly straightening his posture. Sapnap rolled his eyes, annoyed at how he did this every time, though George didn't seem to mind, he must've grown used to his attitude by now. Although he had overheard certain comments about how informally he acts towards the King, someone who deserves high respect and loyalty. It seemed like he was the only one who knew the truth; in all honesty, at times George felt genuinely uncomfortable with how people placed him on a high pedestal. It was to be expected, though of course, he was the King after all, he was royalty and everything, whether they truly liked him or not, had to treat him with respect, or else.

Despite having been King for almost a year now, there were subtle hints that he still needed some to get used to his new position. A King of a whole Kingdom, and while he had his fateful knights by his side, always willing to protect him and other helpers, such as his royal advisor, he'd recently admitted to Dream that he felt alone, standing so much higher than everyone else. He was already twenty-four and crowned King, and had yet to find his soulmate when there were Princes and Princesses much, much younger than him who already found their soulmate. Dream had often overheard townsfolk discussing what a shock it is, that George remained unmarried, without the slightest clue as to who his soulmate could be. 

A couple of days earlier, he had also accidentally overheard Dream discussing the topic with his royal advisor. He hadn't meant to intrude, expecting to find George alone in his chamber, but just as he reached for the doorknob, he heard Darryl's voice. 

"Everyone is waiting for you to be married, your highness... we've searched for your soulmate in almost every Kingdom we know of, and we have yet to find them. There is a chance that they could be someone in the lower class, so we've arranged to interview every suitable person from our Kingdom, and if we do not find them, we will have to continue searching in other Kingdoms. But I'm afraid that will take ages, and... I don't wish to worry you, your highness─"

"Spit it out, Darryl."

"There is a chance that... your soulmate might be dead. It's been recorded before, and when that is the case, they either remain unwed, in most cases, or wed another royal who has the same predicament. But that, your highness, is... very, very unlikely..." 

Dream was unsure how to feel after the conversation, he didn't stay to hear the end of it. Whereas in quite a few Kingdoms, relationships between royalty and anyone below that status were heavily frowned upon, as the years went on and the ideology of "destiny" grew stronger, that rule began to bend. The lower class in this particular Kingdom were treated kindly, George would bend backwards to keep his people safe, and happy, and unfortunately, sometimes that would be taken advantage of. On the bright side, there would be people actively searching for his soulmate, starting here first. Which meant that at long last, Dream could reveal his soul mark, although the chance of rejection still lingered. He couldn't be sure whether George saw him as only a friend, or just his knight, or something more. He would have the option to find out soon, however.

"I simply wanted to see what you two were up to," George's voice snapped Dream out of his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. "Not slacking off on the job, are you?" He asked, raising a brow as a slight smile tugged at his lips, and Dream couldn't resist a hearty chuckle. Sapnap couldn't even dream of acting this way around the King, always growing stiff ( although he tried to hide it ) around his highness. Although Dream and him were close, Sapnap had yet to be let in on his little secret, but soon enough he'll know, and so will everyone else. 

"Not at all, your highness. But, I was wondering if I'd be able to drop by the town, just to check up on a few things." No matter how many times Sapnap witnesses it, how bold his friend acts towards someone of such high status, having only known him for not even a year whereas he has served under him for almost two, it still catches him off guard. He'd paid attention to how close the two had grown as the months flew by, and he isn't sure how it happened so quickly. Once strangers, were now joined at the hip. He'd seen how stiff George would act around practically everyone else, so quiet and blank, but it's like he became a whole different person around Dream. Even just the slightest smile, and smallest chuckle was saved only for him, and him ─ whenever he happened to be around, yet would always fade into the background and by now, he had grown used to being forgotten about, while those two were in their own little world. 

Sure, it could be a bit tedious sometimes, especially when he and Dream had places to be, and they'd end up being late due to bumping into George along the way, and he'd have to drag Dream away or they'd be talking endlessly for possibly hours on end. At the very least, he could tease his friend afterwards, although lately it hasn't been that fun anymore. Because at first his comments would get him flustered, but now, he didn't even try to defend himself. 

And like before, it appeared that they had already forgot about him. 

George hummed, "only if I'm allowed to accompany you." This had happened before, just a week earlier, Sapnap had been looking for Dream one night and happened to catch him secretly escorting George back to the castle, after taking him to who-knows where without anyone knowing. Of course, he confronted his friend once they were alone, but it resulted in him having to promise to keep it a secret. However, that doesn't mean they could act this careless around them, frankly, it was ridiculous. Dream being impulsive and reckless is a massive understatement, but he has an assumption that George's royal advisor knows of this, as well, or else they wouldn't be able to get away with this, especially with how cautious Darryl is. And yet Dream always says there's nothing going on between the two of them, and maybe not officially, but he isn't that easy to fool when the evidence is right in front of him, taunting him. Even a blind man would be able to see the love-struck look on Dream's face, and it made him gag, checking to see if Dream still knew he was there or was too caught up in his own thoughts, and a jab to his stomach answered his question. 

Dream chuckled, rolling his eyes as Sapnap hunched over, clutching his stomach although the light jab did nothing at all. "Getting a little cocky, hm?" He asked, turning his attention back to George. They were lucky it was just the three of them, with no one else in sight. 

George scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'll go fetch my coat, unless you'd rather─"

"Well, I didn't say no." 

Honestly, it's a miracle no one else knows of this, as they're not even trying to hide it, but they're just that lucky. As Sapnap watched the King eventually take his leave to fetch his disguise so he could enter the town without being recognized, he squinted at Dream who waved farewell, for now. "Uh-huh..." he muttered suspiciously, causing his friend to stare at him, confused. 

"What?" 

"Oh, nothing. Oh, and did you know, I heard that they're keeping an eye out for the King's soulmate, it's not exactly a good look for a King, to be unwed and left without a soulmate at his age," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets as he closely studied Dream's expression for a reaction. But to his disappointment and surprise, there was little change, as if he didn't care in the slightest, shrugging his shoulders with a hum. He stared into the distance, even though George was long gone, a faint smile on his lips, his cheeks dusted pink. 

"I know." And he can't wait until they find him.

A few later, he met with George outside his chamber. They were acting rather recklessly, taking the King away from his heavily guarded castle, into a disguise, and bringing him to town, but they were at least smart enough to wait until nightfall. That way, it'd be easier to sneak out, there weren't as many people, and it was simply a lot more peaceful and beautiful once the sun lowered and the moon came out, bringing out thousands, millions, even billions of stars to fill the sky. Dream could visit the town in his own time, alone, and he'd check up on the locals, see how his family were doing and supply them with fresh food if he needed to. Though, ever since he became a knight, they were doing a lot better. His mother was beginning to recover, she was regaining her strength and the doctor said that she should be back to full health in a month or two. He cried at the news, absolutely overjoyed. And all because he had bumped into Sapnap, who was generous enough to offer him the role as a knight, and now he was forever in his debt with no way to properly repay him. Though Sapnap told him it wasn't necessary, he still insisted on one day repaying the favor, he just isn't sure how yet. 

Waiting by George's door, his thoughts traced back to Sapnap's words. Specifically, when he mentioned George's lack of a soulmate, which he obviously did just to get a reaction out of him. Oh, he can already imagine the future look on his face when he finds out, and it made him chuckle. Sounds of rummaging behind the door brought him back to reality, and leaning against it, he knocked. "If you don't come out, I might just have to leave you behind─" he didn't get the chance to finish, the door suddenly swaying open, he stumbled back and bumped into George. 

"Hey!" And as a response, he quickly shoved him away and back onto his feet. His idea of a disguise was a dark blue coat pulled over his head, which still made him stick out a bit, even though it was the least fanciest thing he owned, Dream had tried to help by dirtying it a bit, so it's colour was a little faded with some dirt, and there was a small tear or two in the fabric. Underneath it he wore a white buttoned up shirt tucked into his brown pants, though the coat came down to his ankles. He still had to keep a low profile with it on, which wasn't the easiest with how everyone in town knew each other, and so a stranger waltzing in, accompanied by Dream, someone who the entire town knows due to once being a despised thief, to a knight of the King. It was bound to raise a few heads, but they didn't bump into any trouble last time, and surely not this time.

"Looking as dazzling as ever, your highness. But perhaps a bit too much, they're bound to recognize you by your face, after all, no one else in the whole Kingdom has such beautiful eyes," he commented, reaching out his hand to smudge a bit of dirt onto his cheek, running his finger under his eye. His hands were rough, scarred, and constantly filthy, to the point where he almost hesitated to touch him, when he's so pure, and delicate.

"Hey!" George moved his hand away, and grumbling under his breath tried to wipe off the dirt, but only smudged it more. Dream chuckled, and used his sleeve to wipe most of it off. He chuckled at George's pouty, annoyed expression, but he knew from experience that he could never stay mad at him, and so of course he'd use that to his advantage. George scoffed, pulling down the hood of his coat and looked away, muttering "fool", under his breath, which only made Dream chuckle more. Oh, he's the fool? Maybe he is. A fool in love, that is.

"Come on, you've kept me waiting long enough," George said, stepping past Dream and closing the door behind him, he made his way down the corridor in a haste, continuing to amuse Dream.

"Oh, you're the one left waiting?" He laughed, before hurrying to catch up to him. Though he moved too fast for George's liking, as having experience of being a thief, a good one at that, he knew how not to make a sound. George hated that, mostly because he always used it to creep up behind him and scare the living daylights out of him, and no matter how much George scolded him afterwards, it'd never stop him from doing it again. In fact, it encouraged the behavior. When he glared at Dream, the culprit only threw his hands up and wore a puzzled expression that read 'what?'. George rolled his eyes and scoffed, earning yet another chuckle from him, which made him resist breaking into a smile. 

Though they had only done this once before, with George's extensive knowledge of the castle layout, and Dream's sneakiness, they were able to avoid detection and successfully leave the castle grounds, heading down the steep hill that led to the town. They had a beautiful view of it from here, from what they could see with the light of the stars. It wasn't too late, per say, only eight, nine pm. George had requested they go during the day, but for now, it was too risky. He couldn't talk with any of the people, but alas, just traveling through the town and seeing what everybody was doing was good enough. 

As they made their way through, George did wave to some people. Who were a little confused by his presence, but they recognized him from his last visit, and they were too busy to question it. Dream was a knight, so the stranger could possibly be someone from the castle, although his outfit didn't make sense if that were the case. In all honesty, there wasn't much to do other than look around, and Dream didn't quite understand what George found so... intriguing about it, when he couldn't talk to the people, or do much at all. 

"Why do you like coming here so much?" He asked, looking down at George who wore a visible smile, his eyes scanning his surroundings with awe, although there wasn't even much to see. The people weren't "poor", exactly, richer than other Kingdoms at least, but they were still bottom of the chain. The previous King and Queen, George's parents began taking stride towards benefitting their people, especially after they got to know his parents. So since a few years ago, their town had gotten an upgrade, appearing just a little more fancy and decorative than other Kingdoms. They wanted what was genuinely best for their people, and instead of deciding that themselves, they asked the townfolk what they wanted, and from what he knew, his parents played a role in that, due to the closeness and trust between the two parties that usually can't be seen between commonors and royals, especially a King and Queen. 

"I just... like seeing how they're doing, what they're up to," George answered, his voice soft. And as Dream followed his gaze, watching a couple of kids play around way past their bedtime, his mouth formed a small 'oh'. Of course, just like his parents, George cared for the wellbeing of his people. Although, as their new King, he hadn't interacted with them much at all. He'd been too afraid to at first, worried that he wouldn't stand up to the expectations his parents left behind. "Do you... do you think one day, I could come here without the disguise, and talk to them as their King?" He asked.

A smile spread across Dream's face, and he placed a hand on George's shoulder. "Of course, I know you can," he said just above a whisper. George turned and raised his head to look up at him, and smiled at him so... so softly, it caught him off guard. He slowly removed his hand, and it paused mid-air as for a moment, he swore his heart stopped and the colour rose to his cheeks. However, in the darkness, George didn't notice a thing, continuing on without him. Whereas everything stopped for Dream, needing a moment to process his thoughts. He clenched his hand into a loose fist, his heart beats going slow, as he couldn't stop staring at George caught under the moonlight, staring up at it, still smiling. 

Then, he glanced over his shoulder to see him still standing there, and his smile curved into a small, confused frown. "What, what do you see?" He asked, turning his head and looking behind him, where Dream was staring, but he saw nothing there. 

"Nothing," Dream answered, opening his fist. He approached George, who still stared at him dumbfounded, but before he could question him, he was cut off. "Come on, I actually have something to show you." 

"What? What do you mean?"

"You'll see." 

He led him away from the town and not far from there, trudging through the forest with only the moonlight to guide them, Dream took him to some place special. "Where are you taking me?" George asked, struggling to keep up with how many things blocked his path. Dream didn't answer, to his annoyance, but once he pushed through the bushes and tree branches, he found his answer. He had taken him to a lake, that reflected the stars and moon in the sky. 

"Careful," Dream said, pulling him back before he could pull in. They sit down by a large oak tree, and from here, just across the lake they can see the town. The only sounds are each other's softs breaths, the gentle wind rustling the leaves, and their voices. 

"I used to come here all the time as a kid," Dream said, collecting a few stones and placing them in his hand. "Haven't been back in ages, though," he noted, throwing one of the stones and it skipped across the lake before sinking into the water. Three skips. He threw another as George watched, and heavily sighed in disapointment as it bounced three times, again. 

"You don't talk much about yourself," George spoke up, and it caught Dream off guard, dropping one of the rocks into the lake before he could throw it. He didn't respond, collecting more stones. "I mean, I've known you for almost a year now... and what, I know your name, and what else?" Dream hummed, skipping another stone. Three, no, four skips. George sat up-right and narrowed his eyes at him, and he could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of his skull.

Dream shrugged, "I wasn't an interesting kid." 

He didn't need to look at him to know his reaction; unimpressed. The corner of his mouth curled as he knew he rolled his eyes. George laid himself down on the grass, running his hands through it as he stared up at the sky. His Mother had taught him the constellations when he was only young, she'd point to them when he couldn't sleep, and name them all. To this day, he couldn't recall every single one of them, there were far too many in his opinion, but he could still make out a few of them; his favourites. Orion, Scorpio and Leo. 

A thought came to mind, and he sat up. "Oh, really? Sapnap told me you used to be a thief, quite the trouble maker," he said, and Dream scoffed, continuing to skip stones. This time, it only skipped twice. 

"Maybe," he answered blankly, not the reaction George wanted at all. He loudly groaned to Dream's amusement, and laid back on the grass. His hands rested on his stomach, he slowly inhaled, and exhaled. Being surrounded by nothing but silence was nice, when he almost always found himself unable to relax, even if he tried. There were just too many things to do and keep up with, and lately, it had only been getting worse. He often found himself wondering, and dreaming about if he were born a commonor. At first, he thought it'd be better, he wouldn't have so many duties, so many expectations set upon him, but he quickly realized that things would only be worse without his royalty. It's why his parents did so much to help their people, they weren't born with a silver spoon. Whilst George didn't have to raise a finger, and most of the time got what he wanted, everyone else had to work hard for what they needed to survive. Just putting enough food on the table was a challenge. He's lucky he was born into a royal family, treated with such high respect, always having things handed to him and people breaking their backs to his satisfaction. 

"Darryl, my royal advisor, says that I should be more concerned about finding my soulmate. He wants to start searching for them," he wasn't quite sure why he chose to talk about something so... unusual, between the two of them, it's never been brought up before. But the idea just popped into his head, and the next second, they were falling out his mouth without a second thought. 

The sudden change in topic startled Dream a little, as his body froze up just as he was about to throw another stone. "As a kid, my parents searched desperately to find them, like my life depended on it or something. But... as you can tell, they were never found, and... they acted like they failed me, so I acted disapointed, and sad ─ I started missing someone I haven't even met. But... as I grew older I stopped caring."

Dream stared down at the stone in his hand, then at the soul mark hidden behind a thin layer of fabric. "And now?"

George thought on it for a moment, then stood up and sat down beside Dream. He picked up a stone and chucked it at the lake, but it immediately sank straight down. He complained under his breath, and expected Dream to poke fun at him, but strangely enough, he didn't say a word, silently staring at the glistening lake. He stared at him for a few seconds, before looking over the lake, then down at their reflections, moving with small ripples on the surface.

"I don't know."

He watched as his expression turned sad, whereas Dream... his reflection was hard to make out in the water, due to the small ripples, and yet he could see his own clearly. Seconds passed with no exchange, his gaze never leaving the lake's surface, despite hating the way he looked. Until he broke the silence with a strangely heavy heart, raising his head and turning to Dream, who stared off into the distance. 

"What would you say to being my personal guard?" 

Unlike his previous questions, this got a visible reaction out of him. Maybe because he had started to space out, or the question genuinely surprised him, and he couldn't see why. The silence returned briefly, for a couple more seconds, as Dream still refused to meet his gaze. Though, he did let out a light chuckle that made George's heart flutter. 

"Oh?" 

"Well, you basically already are. You hang around me so much, I can't tell if it's because you like me, like a lot, or if you feel the need to protect me, like I'm helpess."

"Well, you do suck at combat," Dream reminded, bringing up the time they sparred, when he had won in under a minute, and had gone easy on him. He'll never forget the shocked look George had on his face when he thought he was in the lead, only to be pinned to the ground half a second later. The image almost made him laugh out loud. 

George scoffed, remembering that embarrassing moment, and how Sapnap walked in on them, only to immediately sprint out of there before either could explain. Just when he thought he'd forgotten, but of course not. "It was one time."

"Oh, would you like a rematch?" 

George mumbled under his breath about how annoying he was, reaching down to pick up a stone. "Do you want the position or not?" He asked, and as he leaned close to the water, Dream "accidentally" dropped a lake in it, splashing water into George's face. 

The culprit forced back a laugh, and hummed, leaning back into the grass, comfortably staring up at the sky with his head rested on his hands. "Hm, I'l think about it," he said, and closed his eyes, only to get a face full of water a second later. George laughed hysterically as he shot up, and begrudgingly moved his dripping wet hair out of his face. It wasn't even that funny, and yet George was laughing like it'd been hilarious. But hey, he wasn't complaining. 

"Oh, that's how you want to play?" He grinned, standing up.

"What do you mean? You're the one who started it ─ hey!" Even when Dream chased him into the lake, George couldn't stop laughing, and neither could him. Standing under the moonlight, having a childish water fight, getting each other soaked in their only pair of clothes. It wasn't until much later that they realized their mistake, having to sneak back into the castle whilst completely soaked, and they only had each other to blame. And of course, Sapnap had been waiting outside the castle grounds to greet them.

"You're kidding," and he wishes he hadn't. At the very least, he didn't expect the two to return drenched in water, although they had dried up a bit on the way there, they were both shivering to the bone and regretting their actions. 

"Oh, come on Sapnap, give us a break─" Dream tried to laugh it off, but sneezed before he could finish. Without a doubt, he'd have a cold in the morning, and George too, probably. Thankfully, because of how late it is, they avoided Sapnap's scolding, which would only be moved to tomorrow. 

Alas, it was time to say goodbye, for now. Of course, they'd meet together in the morning, the same routine every day. Sapnap agreed to escort George to his room, seeing the King returning to his room dripping wet would definitely raise some suspicion, even more if Dream accompanied him. As he watched the two of them take their leave, he waved farewell, admittedly love-struck, and anyone would be able to tell by the expression on his face. He looked down at his wrist, pulling back the fabric to reveal his soul mark, and sighed.

Soon.


	3. Gold rush

In honesty, George couldn't see the whole point in soulmates. Sure, it could create the perfect love story, you meet your destined soulmate one day, and it's all sunshine and rainbows from that point onwards. Instead it isn't. In an era where Kingdoms rule, and only royalty receive opportunities to meet their fated soulmates, who are literally seeked out like someone on a 'WANTED' list, it's problematic. Soulmates could be Kingdoms away, and as a commonor, there is simply no way to reach them. So, the concept of soulmates are preserved for royalty, whereas everyone else simply fall in love with whoever they happen to catch feelings for, and it's history from there. George wishes he had that luxury, but at the same time, he's already twenty-four, and he has yet to genuinely fall in love.

He didn't get out much. As a young Prince, he was sheltered within the castles walls until his parents began interacting more with the community. But even so, he wasn't allowed to leave the castle on his own, and his parents were both busy with tight schedules. There were a few times when he attempted to sneak out, and once or twice when it actually succeeded. However, he would only be within the town for a few minutes before someone came to collect him, heavily scolding him for leave without a word when he was so important. They acted as if there was a bounty on his head, and the outside world was just too dangerous for a boy like him. He needn't interact with kids his age, the only exception being his soulmate whom he never got to meet.

He eventually got over the "disaster" and got on with his life, not seeing it as something too important. He'd been alone up until that point, there had been no point in missing someone who you've never met, even if you're meant to be together. However, they never left his mind. What if he didn't like them, hated them even? Would they really somehow be his perfect opposite? He didn't understand the logic behind it, these soul marks, and chosen destinies. There had to be something else to it... at first, he thought that because he couldn't meet his soulmate, it meant he'd be able to actually fall in love with someone. But of course not, royalty stuck to tradition, after all. He eventually lost hope in any kind of love. If he really was meant to be with this one person and them only, and he had yet to find them, and if he never finds them... it meant he would be forever alone. He didn't truly realize the complications of that until he grew older. Royalty were usually married young, and he was growing past that point with no arranged marriage, let alone anyone to be married to.

It didn't really affect him until rumors started up. He'd often overhear his maids discuss the topic as he walked by, either they hadn't noticed him, or they didn't care. "The Prince is already seventeen, and unwed."

"I heard it's because he hasn't found his soulmate yet. It's truly sad."

"What? But don't royalty usually find their soulmates at a young age? Are they not looking for one, or...?"

"I think they could have died. It's truly a disapointment to the royal family, a Prince without a soulmate... doesn't that mean he'll be unwed, and alone forever?" It struck a nerve. He could only stand there in silence, lost in his empty thoughts as Darryl called out the women and criticized them. If it weren't for him, Darryl would have made sure those two would be fired. George left his chamber a little less often after that, and couldn't understand why it hurt him so deeply, their words. Surely he wasn't forever alone, his soulmate had to be out there somewhere. He just hadn't found them yet, but once he does, they'll leave happily ever after. He'll believe every stupid happy ending fairytale, they'll be absolutely perfect for each other and nothing will get in between them. He didn't sleep that night. Like he had told Dream last night, at some point he just stopped caring.

He became numb to the comments, so be it he's alone, he may not have a soulmate, but screw it, his parents, and friends are still by his side. Until he lost his parents, and once again, he found himself all alone. Then, he met Dream... and ever since then, he wasn't sure what he wanted. Friends? Love? How could he achieve such a thing, when he didn't have a soulmate? That's until Darryl brought up a suggestion. If they don't find his soulmate, then he could marry someone else, but only if they didn't have a soulmate, either. Sure, there was a low chance in that happening, but it didn't matter. There were still restrictions to falling in love, but not as strict. He might not have a soulmate out there waiting him, but there's still that one special person, that one day, he'll meet. And at age twenty-four, he has to be getting close. He just needs to find them. "Your highness?" Laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, a knock on his door brought him back to reality.

He and Darryl have known each other for years now, and yet he still falls into the habit of calling him by his title, especially since he became King. He's asked him not to before, and just refer to him as "George," it was his name after all, but sometimes he forgets with how much paperwork and other things he has to go through. Oh well, he has a lot to thank Darryl for, so he can let it slide. He sat up, "come in," he responded, and watched as the doorknob moved, and the door slowly creaked open. His mind lingered on the ideology of soulmates as Darryl approached, adjusting his collar. He always made sure to look his best, no matter how many times George assures him he looks perfectly fine. Sometimes, he thinks that he would make a much more fitting King. He does most of his work, after all, and he'd spend his life a simple commonor. He could survive a life time without all the luxury, in exchange for no rules or silly restrictions.

"Yes, Darryl? What is it?" He asked, softly kicking his legs as he sat on the edge of his bed. His gaze softened, and he almost fell back into his thoughts, before remembering Darryl was speaking and quickly snapped himself back to reality.

"Well, it's about your possible soulmate..." Oh, what perfect timing. George groaned, spreading out his arms he fell back into his bed. He just wishes it would swallow him whole, he could just sink into it and close his eyes. Though, hearing Darryl clear his throat, he opened his eyes. "George, you know this is an important matter." George raised his head just enough to see him, still laying back on the bed. He squinted his eyes, so now he refers to him as his name, that means this really is serious. He sighed, forcing himself to sit up, he ran a hand through his messy hair. It was early morning, and he wasn't particularly in the mood for an important discussion first thing in the morning. Alas, he rubbed his tired eyes and sighed.

"I'm listening..." he said, opening his eyes and squinted at Darryl as his vision adjusted, only a small amount of light shining in through the gap in the curtains. He watched as Darryl walked away, and realized too late that he was opening the blinds, letting more sunlight in. George hissed, as if the light burned, and fell back onto his bed. Darryl sighed and shook his head as he walked back to his original position, furrowing his brows at George he cleared his throat again. George gave a thumbs up, and Darryl deeply sighed. If they weren't friends, this job wouldn't have been worth it with how much he has to put up with.

"Right... anyways, it's not exactly about your soulmate, well, I mean... we've changed plans. There's no longer going to be a search for your soulmate in this Kingdom." That got George to sit up, so fast that it made Darryl jump. Had he heard him correctly, or had he just been spacing off and misheard?

"What? Why?"

"Well..." Darryl trailed off, trying to find the right way to say this. He wore a sheepish expression, looking away and scratching at his neck; a nervous habit of his. "How do I put this..."

"Just spit it out, Darryl."

"O-okay, okay!" Despite saying that, he continued to hesitate for a few more seconds, thinking it over in his head before giving in. He lowered his head, staring at his feet. "There's this Princess from a nearby Kingdom who wishes to meet you. She has no soulmate, they were confirmed to have passed away." George's heart sank at those words, which were not what he expected to hear at all. He assumed he'd be referring to his actual soulmate, not... something like this. His mouth formed an 'oh', and he slowly looked down. A Princess... his heart should be leaping out of his chest, he should be ecstatic to meet her, at least. Yet, nothing. No change in his emotions, nothing at all.

"Oh..." is all that came out.

"George! You should be excited, this is a great thing! Her arrival has already been arranged, she'll meet you during the grand ball. You might not find your true soulmate, but you can still fall in love!" Oh, right, the ball. The one they held every year... he didn't think they were going to have one this year, but appearently so. Darryl was right, he should feel at least the slightest bit excited, thrilled, or whatever positive emotion towards meeting this woman, but for some reason, he can't, he doesn't. And he doesn't have the faintest idea as to why. He didn't listen too closely to the rest of the conversation, but his mind had gone blank.

Afterwards, Darryl had things to attend to, leaving George by his lonesome. He's grateful that Darryl did so much for him, completed most of the paperwork and such, but it also meant that he'd have nothing to do. Though, he did have an idea of something to do. Or, someone in particular to visit, and of course, none other than one of his loyal knights, Dream. He still didn't give him a definite answer from yesterday, when he asked if he wanted to be elected his personal guard, which like mentioned before, he practically already was. He already knew where to find him, by the stables with Sapnap. Where else would he be? Just like he thought, he found the two sparring. Asides from doing just that, and wandering castle grounds together, what else did they do? Maybe they do a bunch of things together, but he's just never around.

The two were in the midst of sparring, sizing each other up, waiting for each other to make the first move. He watched from a distance, as not to interrupt, he wanted to see who'd win, as Dream would commonly boast about his strength. Sure, he might be taller, and his muscles came through even in his armor, but still. He leaned against a beam, watching the two. Dream had his back to him, and Sapnap's gaze flickered over his shoulder, landing straight on George. Surprised to see the King, an idea came to mind. Just as Dream was about to ask what had distracted his rival, a grin crossed his face as he pointed out the new arrival. "Hey, the King's come to check you out."

"Wait, what?" Dream fell for his trap. Peering over his shoulder, his eyes widened at the sight of George, who didn't plan on being spotted. His eyes widened, and the heat rushed to his cheeks.

"Hyah!" Dream should have realized Sapnap's plans. The man came charging towards him, but Dream deflected his attack right on time, and knocked his sword right out of his hand. "Oh, crap," and then knocked him to the ground with a sweep kick, and before he could get up, Dream pointed the tip of his sword right at his chin, tilting his head. His breath got caught in his throat, until he saw the smug look on Dream's face, and narrowed his eyes. He easily moved the sword out of the way, and Dream chuckled, giving them a helping hand and pulling him back to his feet.

"Of course you wanted to impress the King," Sapnap mumbled, and Dream gave a small shrug of his shoulders, resting his sword on his shoulder. He had to admit, he was somewhat scared to turn around. He needn't have to, though, as he heard footsteps approaching them.

"I've got to admit, I'm a little impressed." "A little?" Dream faked offense as he turned around, letting out a halfhearted laugh as he grinned at George, however was not prepared for the smile he received.

"I'd say I did brilliantly, aren't I your favorite knight?" George hummed, walking straight past him and stood beside Sapnap.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I reckon Sapnap might have been going easy on you," he said, resting his on Sapnap's shoulder, they were at similar heights. Dream gasped, almost dropping his sword as he moved a hand to his chest, and the ghastly expression he gave was almost enough to make George burst out into laughter, but he only let out a slight chuckle as Sapnap tried to muffle his laughter, a hand over his mouth.

"How... dare you, cheating on me with Sapnap?!" And that's what did it, the two of them couldn't stop themselves from laughing, and Dream shortly joined them. Just the three of them, laughing uncontrollably at some silly joke. Eventually, George's laughter stopped, and he calmed down.

"Uhm, right, Dream, I need to talk with you for a moment."

"Ooh, about what?" Sapnap teased, but silenced himself when he met Dream's gaze. "Okay, fine, I'm not wanted, I get it. I wanted to check on my darlings, anyways. You two love --- I mean, lovelys enjoy your chat, I'l be with the horses," he sighed, dramatically taking his leave, h. As he walked away, he glanced back at Dream and gave a thumbs up, smirking before disappearing into the stables. Though, George saw it, too.

"Why did he..." Dream cleared his throat, interrupting his train of thought. "Right, uh... there's an upcoming ball, it's not something too fancy, it's a yearly thing. I was wondering if you'd be attending, anyone can as long as they have an invite, and if you're my personal guard, you should stay by my side." Dream slipped his sword into its sheath on his waist, and chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Right, 'personal guard', huh?" He said, raising a brow, a slight smirk playing at his lips. George looked away, quietly chuckling, he rubbed the back of his neck as a sheepish smile crossed his lips.

"Well, I didn't hear a no from you."

"Oh, so you just assumed I meant yes?" His heart skipped a beat, and his breath hitched.

"Well, no, I didn't mean it that way─" he didn't get to finish, silenced by Dream suddenly slinging an arm over his shoulder, and getting a little too close. He could feel his breath against his ear. His body tensed up, and the heat rised to his cheeks, turning them a light pink. Why did it catch him off guard so much?

"I was only joking," he said, ruffling his hair, snapping him out of his thoughts. "And as for the ball... hmm, I don't know, I'll think about it," he replied, removing his arm just as George got used to it. His shoulders fell, and he rolled his eyes.

"And as for becoming my personal guard?" Dream stepped back, and shoving his hands into his pockets, seemed to think on it for a moment. George anticipated his answer, a "yes" he wished to hear, only to be deeply disapointed when he simply shrugged his shoulders, as if he couldn't care less.

"Like you said, I'm basically already your personal guard," he answered, and it seemed final. He couldn't have put more thought into it, or something? It wasn't too much of a deal, but strangely enough, it made his heart ache, seeing how Dream didn't think twice on it and answered so blatantly. He took his position seriously, and often joked about how he's his "favorite knight" along with being the most skilled, and if there were anyone standing by his side, it'd be him. Apparently, they were only jokes.

George hummed, dropping his gaze. "Right... the ball is in a couple of days, by the way, this weekend, so if you are coming, at least dress nice." He questioned if he should mention the Princess, and the possibility of an arranged marriage. It was still on his mind, but he had no reason to tell Dream, he wouldn't be interested in it anyways. He needs to figure this out himself, and soon, the ball isn't far away. Dream pretended to be at a loss of words at his statement, faking offense once again.

"Excuse you, are you saying I have poor fashion sense?" He asked, and George's smile returned, and he let out a small laugh. Though his expression turned slightly serious as he looked up to Dream, and shrugged his shoulders. He then turned on his heel, hands behind his back, and began walking, just slightly peering over his shoulder and looking back at him, resisting to laugh at his shocked expression, jaw hanging open.

"Well, I've only ever seen you in your armor," George answered, crossing his arms, his back still turned to him. "And the outfit you wore yesterday, which was... okay, I guess." His eyes strayed away for only a brief moment, and then Dream approached him, turning him around to face him. George's breath hitched at how close they became all of a sudden, as Dream let out a low chuckle, his hand on his shoulder before slowly pulling away.

"Well then," he started, a smirk forming on his lips. "I better dress to impress, then. But are you sure you'd be alright without a _personal guard?_ You are the King now, after all, and... you can't really defend yourself all that well," he stated, playfully punching George's shoulder, but it actually did some damage. George slightly winced, and rolled his eyes, rubbing his shoulder. He was about to retort, when his eyes landed on Dream's sword in his sheath, and an idea came to mind. 

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, and before Dream could properly react, George snatched his sword and raised it to his chin, grinning rather confidently. That is, until he noticed the small, bleeding cut across the other's cheek, and his face paled. The sword fell from his hand and dropped to the ground as he cupped his face with trembling hands. "Oh god─I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean to do that, it was so stupid of me and I─" he rambled, only to be instantly calmed down as Dream's hand gently caressed his cheek. 

"Hey," he said softly, "it's fine, you're overreacting. It's barely a scratch," he laughed, wiping away the blood with a finger. "See? It's fine, no more blood." George slowly moved his hand over his, just as he pulled away and took a step back. George shook his head, getting back into focus. He glanced down at the sword laying on the ground, getting dirty. He crouched down and picked it up, just as Dream was about to.

"Uh," he cleared his throat, and stood up, handing him his sword as he looked away. Dream took his sword back, sliding it into its sheath, but paused. Then, he took it back out and handed it to George again, confusing him. "You said you don't need protecting, right? Show me what you've got."

George rambled on about how he shouldn't, and how he just accidentally cut him, he doesn't actually know how to handle a sword. Yet, ignoring his words, Dream pushed the sword into his hands. Before George could quickly give it back to him, he turned away and picked up his helmet sitting on the fence and put it on. Turning back to George, George's heart skipped a beat, and he gulped. Dream picked up Sapnap's sword he had carelessly left behind, and approached George. "Come on, I'll let you make the first move."

George inhaled sharply, his body tensing up. He took his stance, but his posture was awful, causing Dream to chuckle. George scoffed, attempting to hide his nervousness, and made sure he had a tight grip on his sword, whereas Dream stood there carefree, leaning against his sword as he waited for George to make the first move. He wasn't even taking this seriously, they both knew he'd wipe the floor with him. In just a matter of seconds, George will find himself unarmed, likely on the floor wallowing in defeat. So what even was the point of trying?

Exhaling through his teeth, he advanced towards him, raising his sword. Throwing it down, the last second, Dream raised his and their weapons collided with a long clang. George's arms were shaking, but he held on tight, whereas Dream only used one hand and fought back effortlessly. Then, George stepped back and narrowly dodged Dream's sword that swung a little too close to his chest. He then attempted to counter-attack, but once again, their swords collided and his wouldn't budge. He planted his feet in the ground, and pulled back, only to immediately swing again. 

The determination in his eyes had caught Dream off guard. He had a unfortunate habit of getting lost in his eyes, his beautiful, brown eyes. They're a trap, whenever he even glimpses at his eyes, he can't look away even for a split second. He wonders, if George knows what effect he has on him, but of course he doesn't, even if sometimes it seems like he's doing it on purpose. As much as a distraction it was, he couldn't allow himself to lose. Yet, a slight slip-up on his part, caused him to lose his footing. 

George knew he'd end up the loser, right from the beginning, so how did he end up the victor. He'd just been lucky, and Dream had gone easy on him, and the ground was moist and easy to slip on, that's how. Still, George did not think he could end up in this situation; he'd won, yes, but that's not all that made him lose his breath. Dream was on the ground, and because he had started falling all of a sudden, George had acted without thinking, disregarding their "match" and tried to save him, only to also be pulled down. And so, he found himself on top of Dream, and if it hadn't been for his helmet, he would have received another "cut" on his face. 

George's sword had dropped beside him, and Dream still held his in his hand, but he'd already lost. He didn't care, though, not in the slightest. Instead he focused on how close the two were, way too close. His helmet had been knocked off by the impact, his eyes were wide, and a faint blush dusted his cheeks whereas George's entire face had gone red. Then, Dream glanced at George's wrist, both his hands positioned just below Dream's face. As he had thought, his soul mark was glowing from their close contact. His was, too, but it couldn't be seen. Maybe, now he could tell him. "George─"

But before he could get another word out, George jumped to his feet, his whole face as red as a tomato. "I didn't," he forced out, "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to," he could barely form the words, his arm over his mouth he took a step back. Dream's heart sank to the bottom of his chest, and he slowly raised to his feet, picking up his sword and helmet. Quickly, George snatched up his sword and hastily tried to clean it, before Dream's hand on the helm, fingers brushing against his, stopped him. 

"It's alright," he assured, speaking softly. "You won, I'm going to let you have this one, but I'm going to need a rematch sometime, got it?" He said, a smile returning to his lips as he took the sword from George, who stumbled over his words in embarrassment. He can't believe he had just let that happen, his thoughts ran wild, barely paying attention to Dream's words. Until he was lightly nudged on the shoulder and snapped out of it with a gasp. He stared at Dream, then shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. 

"Right, I... should be going now, but I'll see you at the ball, right?" He asked, clearing his throat, he managed to smile.

Dream hummed, and thought on it for a couple of seconds, sliding his sword into its sheath, he turned his head and spotted Sapnap outside the stables, leaning against the door, and gave Dream a wink. He quietly sighed under his breath, and looked back to George. "Of course, it's my duty as your _personal guard_ to stay by your side, but... you better leave a dance for me," he placed a finger under George's chin, and tilted his head up. It only lasted for a second or so, though, George quickly pulled away and tried to hide his face as the heat rised to his cheeks. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by whistling that came from Sapnap, whom he didn't notice standing there. Sapnap flinched as his gaze landed on him, and he smiled sheepishly, giving a wave. Strange, he could be sometimes. He smiled and hummed, "I'll think about it," he said to Dream's request, turning around. "It'll be held in the royal ballroom as you know, in three days, at midnight sharp, don't miss it." He sent one last glance over his shoulder at Dream, who raked a hand through his messy hair, and sighed. 

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he whispered as he watched George walk away. Then, from behind him he heard Sapnap cackling, finding their interaction just so hilarious. "Oh, quit it, would you?" Dream snapped, looking over his shoulder at his friend, who was hunched over clutching his stomach. "What's _so_ hilarious?"

"Seriously, why don't you just kiss him already?" Sapnap asked between breaths, too caught up laughing to notice Dream's approach, until he hit him on the back of his head, only furthering his laughter as Dream rolled his eyes and scowled, before catching him in a chokehold. That finally shut him up. "Okay, okay! Jeez, so defensive!" If his feelings are just _so_ obvious, then why is he the only one acting oblivious?

As George wandered the castle halls, he passed by some maids whom he paid no mind to. However, he unintentionally overheard their conversation. 

"They're planning on hosting a ball in a few days, I believe. They're already setting up."

"A ball? It is an annual thing for the family, but I thought since..."

"It's been almost a year, and besides, perhaps the King is using this as an opportunity to meet the love of his life?"

George turned the corner in a hurry to distance himself from the women, only to accidentally bump into someone as he spaced out. He stumbled back, almost losing his balance. "Who ─ oh, it's you, Tubbo." The last person he expected to run into had been Tubbo, a young boy of only sixteen, who worked under him as a servant. He was a nice, kind boy, and sometimes George would let him into the royal library, because he'd be fired if he were spotted there alone. He'd told George that he wanted to help out at arranging the library and keeping it neat and tidy, if that were possible, and George had forgotten to discuss that with Darryl. He also made sure that he and his best friend weren't overworking themselves, although Tommy was more often seen with Sapnap tending to the horses at the stables. He never got close enough to see what they were up to, but he heard from Tubbo that appearently Tommy wanted to become a knight-in-training, and Sapnap was the son of the head guard. He helped the boy up.

"I'm sorry, your highness, I should have been paying more attention," Tubbo apologized. It was out of politeness and habit that he referred to him by his title, but it seemed that only Dream called him by his actual name. The title as "King" just annoyed him a little, still getting used to it, but he couldn't blame anyone. 

He shook his head, "it's alright. Were you heading to the library? I don't mind bringing you there, I don't have much to do," he asked, and Tubbo visibly hesitated. The first time they met was when George had caught Tubbo sneaking into the library late one night, and gave the poor boy a heart attack, and he almost fell off the ladder, which wouldn't have ended well. George assured him he wouldn't be fired, or even punished for sneaking in, to Tubbo's shock. From that point onwards, whenever they'd happen to meet up, George would take him to the library at least twice every two weeks. He'd stay there for the minimum of roughly half an hour, and at most, two hours, only because George had accidentally drifted off to sleep and Tubbo hadn't noticed.

Recently, he'd also been letting Tubbo borrow books. He found the boy's interest in books intriguing, with how he explained he struggled reading the words, but wanted to get better, and as a commoner, he didn't get that opportunity often. Really, George just liked seeing him happy, his face lighting up when he came across a story he really liked. Though George was pushing the rules with this, he saw no harm in it, and honestly, couldn't quite care for the consequences. Because what would they do? He was the King, he had the highest position, and they couldn't put all the blame on Tubbo, because he simply wouldn't allow it, and nobody would be able to defy him. Even though he had told Tubbo that, and assured him no harm would come out of this, the boy was still anxious every time they entered the library, fearing they'd be caught red-handed. 

"So, um, I heard you're hosting a... ball?" Tubbo asked, bringing George back to reality. He hummed, looking down at him, his thought process going a little slow. 

"Oh, yeah, uh... in three days. Why, do you want to attend? I could make it work," he replied. Normally, a servant wouldn't even dream of attending such a prestigious, royal event, but whoever the King wishes to invite is allowed to attend, no questions asked. He seemed to ponder on it for a bit, before shaking his head.

"No thanks, but thank you for the offer. I don't know what I'd do in that situation, surrounded by so many rich people..." he responded with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. He supposes he has a point, and if he were to bring Tommy along ( which was definite, the two were inseparable, so much so he had assumed at first the two were brothers ) and without a doubt, despite being warned, he would cause at least a little bit of trouble that would leave a lasting memory for every person there. But at the same time, it'd liven the place up a bit. 

Like one of the maids had mentioned, his family often hosted royal balls yearly, although after his birth they would skip a few years in between. Those he'd attend, from the age of thirteen, at first he was fascinated by the idea of attending, but when he arrived, he was deeply disapointed. Basically, all that went on was dancing between adults, and there were always people wishing to have a private conversation with his parents. So he felt like a burden, since he didn't want to be left alone in a giant room full of strangers who were all much, much older than him and had no interest in talking with him. The only thing he did enjoy had been the music, watching the musicians play such beautiful melodies, it made him want to dance with his own partner, yet he didn't have the chance to.

The next two years he skipped, returning at age fifteen, and he's not sure why. Maybe he thought it'd be different, but alas, he only suffered the exact same fate, left alone where everyone else had a partner, a lover to dance with. They didn't hold one next year, and the following one he didn't wish to attend, arguing with his parents on the matter. When questioned, he argued that he'd just be left alone again, as those who danced taunt him. So, he stayed in his chamber, but the loud msuic could be heard through the walls and kept him awake. He didn't attend the balls from then on, there was no point in doing so. Instead, he spent his time with Darryl, or, after meeting Sapnap, he hung out with him as the ball went on. 

This year, it won't be the same. He'll have someone to dance with, but still, there's no reaction to the news. Had he just grown out of love, lost interest for it completely? Well, there's only one way to find out.

"I... I guess so."


End file.
